Ethiopian crisis: US provides $26 million additional humanitarian assistance
Washington, DC, US (PANA) The United States is providing more than $26 million in additional assistance to respond to the humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia bringing its funding since the crisis began to nearly $663 million, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday.
He said in a statement that this assistance will enable international humanitarian partners to help many of the estimated 6-7 million people in need in northern Ethiopia.
These include some of the 900,000 who are facing famine-like conditions, and over 48,000 refugees who have fled from northern Ethiopia to Sudan.
Mr Blinken said the assistance will provide lifesaving protection, shelter, essential health care, emergency food assistance, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
"This funding will also help our partners re-establish contact between family members who have been separated due to the conflict," Mr. Blinken said.
He added that the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Disaster Assistance Response Team remains deployed in support of U.S. humanitarian response efforts.
Mr. Blinken said the US remains "gravely concerned" about the worsening humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia.
"Immediate, full, safe, and unhindered access for humanitarian organisations and workers is essential to provide timely, need-based assistance to those affected by the conflict and to save lives."
Mr. Blinken warned that the humanitarian situation will continue to worsen without a political solution.
"A cessation of hostilities and an end to violence by all parties is essential. There needs to be credible investigations of atrocities and human rights abuses and accountability for all those responsible."
He said the US and the broader international community are monitoring the situation closely to see to it that the Government of Ethiopia honours its public commitments to permit independent international and domestic investigations of the abuses and to hold those responsible accountable.
Mr Blinken welcomed the contributions of other donors toward the crisis response and urged others to generously support the immediate humanitarian needs created by the crisis in northern Ethiopia.
-0- PANA MA 14Oct2021
